


Forsake

by Patricia_Sage



Series: Crushed [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Action, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Episode: e051-057 The Suffering Game Parts 1-7, Gen, Good Friend Magnus Burnsides, Good Friend Merle Highchurch, Hurt, Hurt Taako (The Adventure Zone), Hurt/Comfort, Protective Magnus Burnsides, Protective Merle Highchurch, Spoilers for Episode: e051-057 The Suffering Game Parts 1-7, Taako Angst (The Adventure Zone)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27702602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: When he accepted Bad Luck as a punishment, he expected that he would trip and fall during spell casting or something. He didn’t think that a fucking washing machine would fall on him from 10 feet in the air.[Episode 53 | The Suffering Game: Chapter Three]
Relationships: Edward & Lydia (The Adventure Zone), Magnus Burnsides & Merle Highchurch, Magnus Burnsides & Merle Highchurch & Taako, Magnus Burnsides & Taako, Merle Highchurch & Taako
Series: Crushed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032531
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	Forsake

**FORSAKE**.

Of course, those bitches stabbed them in the back. This is why Taako doesn’t trust anyone until he’s played a game of strip poker with them.

He can’t fault Merle for choosing Trust. It’s in his nature. And part of the deal of their friendship is that sometimes Taako has to clean up the mess when Merle’s or Magnus’s soft heart gets them into trouble. They’ve made it out of worse situations than this.

But it’s brutal. They’ve been tearing off pieces of themselves left and right. And in front of them is a fucking multiplying, flying, electrified dire bear and a shit-ton of multiplying, regenerating, poisonous slime. That’s way too many adjectives for one fight.

Taako pretty much obliterates the slime with his first spell. Magnus throws a wet rope. Things are going well…until they’re not.

When he accepted Bad Luck as a punishment, he expected that he would trip and fall during spell casting or something. He didn’t think that a fucking washing machine would fall on him from 10 feet in the air.

Magnus is used to taking damage in a fight, he accepts it. Taako has watched him smile while absorbing blows from a wide variety of weapons and monsters. Taako doesn’t like getting hit. He’s a fucking flip wizard, he gets the hell out of the way. He casts spells and blinks to other dimensions. He’s not as strong as Magnus…and he’s never been hit like this before.

His legs feel like they’ve been crushed. He feels a few of his ribs snap. He’s in so much pain that he can’t breathe. His perception turns inward and everything else fades. He doesn’t hear the roar of the dire bear or Magnus’s roar in return. All he’s aware of are his fragile bones and the fire searing through his veins. He coughs and feels blood splatter onto his chin.

Fuck this.

The Ethereal Plane is unusually crowded for a moment, but Taako takes comfort in his ability to be upright once more. He watches his friends dodge a bunch of electricity and shoots some finger guns at them in appreciation.

When Taako returns to the Material Plane, he slams into reality with a groan. His legs are aching, but he’s relieved to find himself able to stand. There’s still work to do.

Taako casts Ice Storm at the dire bear. Although he’s creating a column of frost, the Umbra Staff feels warm in his hand. For a moment it feels as if the handle is trembling in his grasp.

The fight is over. His companions rush over to mess up the ice cube that was their enemy and Taako smiles but more than laughter is coming up his throat. He collapses to his knees and blood spills out of his mouth and onto the floor.

“Shit, Taako!” Magnus exclaims. He stops kicking the dire bear and runs over, Merle following close behind. Taako is grateful for Magnus’s large, strong hands holding him up. It would be very embarrassing to fall over into his own bloody vomit.

Merle smells like sweat and tree sap as he kneels in front of the wizard. “Don’t worry, bud, I gotcha.” His hands begin to glow with the familiar light of a healing spell. Taako leans into Magnus’s chest, slumping in relief while the light expands over the three of them. He takes a breath, and it doesn’t feel like his lungs are full of broken glass. But it’s not enough. His legs feel like they’re on fire and his chest aches like glowing embers.

“You got a little more juice, bean sprout?” Taako wheezes, “I still feel like I been chewed up.”

Merle is staring at the _Extreme Teen Bible_ in his hands, his brow furrowed. “I…I don’t understand.”

“Now, hold on just a second. What do you think you’re doing?” It’s the elves again. Taako swears forcefully under his breath. “That’s cheating! You know the rules – once you sacrifice something here, you don’t get it back.”

“No,” Taako whispers as Merle’s minimal healing is taken away. Breathing is unbearable again. Magnus tightens his grip on his friend as the wizard tenses in pain.

The spectral figures grin manically. “Great job,” the male elf says, “Now smile and show your opponents how well you did!” The wall turns into some sort of window and two halflings in the other room look up at them.

“What?” Magnus whispers.

“Well at least now you know your new buddies didn’t betray you,” Taako mumbles, wiping a sleeve across his mouth to clean away some of the blood. Magnus takes the arm that isn’t holding up Taako and flips the halflings off. They return the gesture, grinning. Some black mist escapes from Magnus’s mouth and he changes his hand position into something more cheerful.

Taako attempts to stand up, more blood trickling out of his mouth as he coughs. Magnus stops creating sarcastic heart shapes in the air and joins Merle in helping him up. Gotta keep going.

They find a disembodied head, Merle loses an eye, Magnus ages 10 years. Taako is given the choice this time and he doesn’t hesitate.

 **FORSAKE**.

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished TAZ: Balance and felt a lot of feelings about it (hush, I know I'm late to the party). 
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated! Let me know what you thought of this story and if you'd be interested in reading more of my content in this fandom.


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